Officials dig in to kick-start project on UH’s new digs

A line of hard hats and shovels during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new University of Houston football stadium on Friday. The Houston football stadium will contain a minimum of 40,000 seats and will be completed by August 2014.

Photo By Karen Warren

Renu Khator, president of the University of Houston, center laughs with Nelda Luce Blair, chair of the UH System Board of Regents, right, as they prepare for a photo op with hard hats and shovels during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

A student flashes the cougar paw hand gesture during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

Sophomore Delaney Marth a member of the UH marching band, takes a photo during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

Former UH head coach Bill Yeoman during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

University of Houston president Renu Khator, left, and Nelda Luce Blair, right, Chairman of the UH System Board of Regents, lift their hands out of the cement blocks during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

University of Houston president Renu Khator, left, and Nelda Luce Blair, right, Chairman of the UH System Board of Regents, lift their hands out of the cement blocks during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

University of Houston president Renu Khator, left, acts like she is about to wipe her concrete covered hands on Nelda Luce Blair, right, Chairman of the UH System Board of Regents, as they finish their hand prints in concrete during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

University of Houston president Renu Khator, left, acts like she is about to wipe her concrete covered hands on Nelda Luce Blair, right, Chairman of the UH System Board of Regents, as they finish their hand prints in concrete during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

University of Houston president Renu Khator's hand prints in concrete, along with those of Mack Rhoades, VP of Intercollegiate Athletics during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

Joe Eck, graduate assistant in the band department, flashes the cougar paw as the UH marching band plays during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

UH band member Danny Rojas, 21, gets his photo taken by fellow band member Francesca Berntsen, 23, holding a piece of the old Robertson stadium after the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

Lyla Crake, 4, does a cheer from the shoulders of her dad, Russell Crake, after the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

A booth offering pieces of Robertson Stadium nearby during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

The UH marching band plays music during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

Willie Lopez, who graduated from graduate school at UH in 1980 watches the festivities during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

UH cheerleaders line up behind a row of hard hats on top of shovels as UH President Renu Khator speaks to the crowd during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo By Karen Warren

Martin Lara, a construction worker, watches the festivities during the groundbreaking ceremony.

University of Houston officials plunged silver shovels into dirt Friday in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the school's on-campus football stadium.

"A lot of people thought this day would not come," UH president and system chancellor Renu Khator said. "This day is here."

Wearing red hard hats with the UH logo, school officials, city and state dignitaries, and major donors took part in the ceremony just a few steps from where the 40,000-seat stadium will be built.

The stadium, at an estimated cost of $105 million, is scheduled to open Aug. 30, 2014, with the construction begining immediately. Robertson Stadium, the Cougars' longtime home, was demolished in December.

"When this stadium is complete, it's going to be one of the nicest facilities in the country," said Mack Rhoades, UH's vice president for intercollegiate athletics. "It will be second to none.

"Our athletics department is moving forward in terms of being nationally competitive. We want to regain that prominence that we once all enjoyed 20 years ago. That's our mission, that's our vision. This is a big step."

In December, the school unveiled artist's renderings that feature continuous bowled seating, an east-west orientation and a specially coated corrugated metal exterior skin with an opening on the northwest side to offer a view of the downtown skyline.

Among the stadium's amenities: a 12,400-square-foot club, 26 suites, 34 loge boxes and additional premium seating. The design of the stadium will allow for expansion to 60,000.

"We are on a mission to build a nationally competitive and internationally recognized university," Khator said. "I think athletics is a very important part for our dreams for our future."

During Friday's public ceremony, attended by the UH marching band, cheerleaders and fans, Rhoades announced a $5 million gift from the John O'Quinn Foundation to keep the name John O'Quinn Field at the stadium.

"Fundraising has gone tremendously well and we're on pace," Rhoades said. "The timeline for the stadium right now is great and the budget is well intact. The project is going remarkably smooth at this time."

Khator also recognized the UH student body, which overwhelming voted in favor of a student-fee increase toward funding for the stadium.

"The students believed in the vision and decided this was something they needed," Khator said.

An agreement has not been finalized, but the Cougars are expected to play their six-game home schedule and Bayou Bucket against Rice next season at Reliant Stadium.

"That's where we more than likely will end up playing all of our home games," Rhoades said, adding the school is working to secure naming rights for its stadium.

With construction set to begin, Khator didn't waste time setting expectations for coach Tony Levine, who was sitting on the front row.